Official Evaluations Expose Smart Motorway Failures
Most of England's smart motorway schemes have been rated as poor or very poor value for money in official government assessments, according to newly published reports. The long-awaited evaluations from National Highways, which had been held back by the Department for Transport since completion in 2023, reveal that a series of major projects converting hard shoulders on key motorways including the M1, M4, M6 and M25 have failed to deliver expected economic benefits.
Catastrophic Waste of Resources
The AA has described the findings as evidence that smart motorways represent a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort. Edmund King, the AA president, stated: "This has been a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort. Many of the schemes have slower journeys which causes traffic jams, loses the country cash and worsened the safety record of motorways."
Of the 11 motorway schemes evaluated over a five-year period since opening and given a financial assessment, only two were rated positively. The schemes, completed between 2017 and 2019, cost a total of £2.3 billion at 2010 prices.
Mixed Safety Performance and Driver Anxiety
The reports show a mixed safety record, with a slight increase in the numbers killed or seriously injured on the M3 and on the M1 between junctions 29 and 42. While National Highways maintains that smart motorways remain the country's safest roads, surveys indicate many motorists fear driving on them, with recent AA polling finding 47% of drivers feel anxious or nervous using smart motorways.
Elliot Shaw, National Highways chief customer officer, acknowledged in a foreword to the reports that the schemes were "on course to deliver benefits, but will not deliver all the originally expected benefits within the 60-year appraisal period." He attributed the poor value for money to lower traffic growth than expected since the 2008 financial crisis and traffic on some smart motorway sections not travelling as quickly as forecast.
Controlled Motorways Show Better Results
One scheme that exceeded original projections for economic benefits while improving safety was between junctions 16 to 23 of the M25. This stretch was widened and turned into a "controlled motorway" - with gantries and monitoring technology installed but retaining a hard shoulder. With faster journey times and an improved safety record, it was rated high value for money.
The AA argues that such controlled motorways should be the standard bearer for motorway improvements. King added: "Motorways which have been widened, the hard shoulder kept and safety technology added have proved the most successful. We need the return of the hard shoulder to help give confidence to drivers, both now and in the future."
Government Response and Future Implications
A National Highways spokesperson defended the schemes, stating: "Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, smart motorways remain our safest roads. They are also providing much-needed extra capacity for drivers, helping to reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions."
A Department for Transport spokesperson added: "These reports show that smart motorways can make journeys reliable and increase road capacity, so more vehicles can travel safely."
However, critics including Chris Todd, director of Transport Action Network, argue the reports "display a remarkable lack of curiosity over how the danger has increased from vehicles stopped in live running lanes" and "raise more questions than they answer."
